Dems' Picks Are Official

The nomination of Zachary Cohen for East Hampton Town councilman from the floor at the Democrats’ nominating convention Wednesday night made for some tense moments for Job Potter and Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the candidates favored by the party’s screening committee. In the end, Mr. Potter and Ms. Burke-Gonzalez prevailed.

They will share the top of the ticket with Larry Cantwell, the outgoing East Hampton Village administrator, who is also running on the Independence Party line.

Mr. Cohen ran for town supervisor in 2011, losing by just 15 votes to Supervisor Bill Wilkinson. Until earlier this month, Mr. Cohen was hotly pursing the Democrats’ nomination for supervisor, but in the wake of the screening committee’s announcement last week that it would back Mr. Cantwell, he withdrew his name from consideration. On Wednesday morning, he said he had “urged everyone to support Larry.”

Kathy Cunningham was also nominated from the floor for town board and Joe Giannini got a floor nomination for town justice. The committee voted to nominate Steven Tekulsky for town justice. It will also back the Republican highway superintendent, Stephen Lynch, for a second run, and Carole Brennan, the assistant town clerk, to run for town clerk. Both are also supported by the Independence and Republican Parties.